Follow The Sunset
by My-Beautiful-Deformity
Summary: "Traitor. That is all I am. I have betrayed everything I have ever held dear. But sometimes betrayal is necessary. Sometimes treason happens for the greater good. I consider my actions as dauntless. But at the same time, I am nothing more than a lonely coward." Sakura's tale of love, war, death, and the life she leads in between. Main Pairing: Sasosaku.
1. On The Run

**A bit of Gaasaku memories in this chapter. I apologize if you do not like the pairing, but it is necessary for my story line. This chapter has a lot of back story buildup. But I promise by the end things will be on track to progress the story further. Also. This chapter is a bit dark. But I am going to add some humor to this story later on. ;3**

**RATED M: For language, violent scenes, sexual content, Hidan, and possible shirtless Akatsuki members. ;D**

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**Sakura P.O.V**

Traitor. That is all I am. I have betrayed everything I have ever held dear, or at least what was left of it. But sometimes betrayal is necessary. Sometimes treason happens for the greater good. I consider my actions as dauntless. But at the same time, I am nothing more than a lonely coward. One that was forced to be imprisoned within the white walls of a Hospital, while the war raging beyond those shaky walls took the lives of everyone precious to me. I was the only one of my class to survive the demolishing war. The hierarchy of Konaha was in shambles. Suna was even worse off.

Thinking of the desert made my heart ache with despair. I found myself missing the heat and sandy slopes of Suna much more than the forest like terrain of my own village. And that was all due to the biggest loss the war could ever possibly rip from me. The one that ended the war and assured our loss. The reason why I ran and never looked back. The Kazekage's death. I blinked back the wetness in my eyes and trudged forward with a faster pace.

Gaara. His presence had been the one to fill the void that Sasuke had left behind. He had returned my love for him tenfold. But it wasn't long-lived. He was ripped from me just as our relationship had progressed intimately. Somehow it made my heartache grow. He was my first and his death brought grief that surpassed losing my first crush to power and vengeance. No, love was not something made for this lifestyle. Ninja should not hold such deep emotion for one another. But I could never let go of love. It is my downfall and always will be. My love had killed Gaara.

**Normal P.O.V.**

Speed was of no worry to her. She had almost surpassed her former sensei, Kakashi, at acceleration. But then again, she had beyond perfect chakra control. Not long after her sixteenth birthday, Tsunade had told her that she had taught the young pinkette everything she knew and that it was now her choice to do with it what she will. It was a shock to everyone when the girl had then chosen to become a hunter ninja.

It hadn't taken her very long either. She applied for the exam the next morning and passed her first try with flying colors. The petite girl had become one of the highest ranking officers of the hunters association within a month. Tsunade had expected her to become a medic or even an Anbu, but had no idea why Sakura would want to be a hunter. Someone who assassinated on a daily basis. Her explanation was simple. She wanted to kill the traitors and bring upon the justice of high ranked criminals.

The girl muffled her bitter laugh. She was the exact thing that she had hunted. A treasonous backstabber. It made her thoughts uneasy. Just how many did she kill that were like her? Needing to flee for the greater good. It was absolutely sickening and she often felt disgusted with herself for it.

It was a little over a year after that when the war had begun. She was seventeen at the time, three months away from her eighteenth birthday. Not that she got to celebrate it. The war raged day in and day out for countless the body count steadily increasing, she was stationed in Suna and ordered to become a full fledged medic there. It was how her and Gaara had become so close. In the calm between battles, Sakura would spend every waking moment with him.

The day of his death was also the day she had given herself to him fully. They were laying on the roof of the Kazekage tower, watching the sunset. It was the only thing that seemed to hold any beauty in the midst of war. Sakura could still recall his last words. She let them pass though her lips as she slowed her pace, watching the same sun set on a different horizon.

"The rebirth of the sun will bring happiness again." She paused as she played those words in her head over and over. She repeated them every night.

"Tch, Gaara. It has been more than a year since your death and I still don't understand those words." Her eyes became slightly downcast as the sun started to disappear. She was used to speaking her thoughts out loud, being alone for so long. Coming across a small river in the middle of the forest she was currently in, Sakura decided to rest a bit. It was all routine for her now. Collect firewood, gather food, fill her water canteen, eat, bathe if she had the option, then rest in front of a small fire for a few hours. Mostly it was only three to four hours a night, just enough to replenish her chakra. Tonight she decided a long much needed soaking would do her achy muscles good.

Undressing, she entered the cool stream, bringing her shed clothing with her. It was a good opportunity to wash the grime and sweat off of her clothing. Once done, she hung them on a branch near her already lit fire and ascended into the shallow river once more. The cold water reached her mid back region, just getting the tips of her long hair wet. She hadn't realized it had come to be so lengthy, but it was a refreshing change. The ex-hunter quickly descended under the water, running her fingers through her soaked hair and scrubbing at her face. This was a luxury she did not allow herself often. It put her slightly more at ease.

She left the cool water a little while after, drying herself on a single small towel she had taken from an inn, and changed into her second set of clothes. It was then that the girl scoped out her surroundings. The air was slightly humid for this time of year, a sure sign that she was entering mist territory. It was time to double her defenses. Tonight she would only allow herself two hours of rest. She was not fond of mist, and in all her mission travels going through these parts, there had been the highest rouge ninja counting. But now she was by herself. If an ambush attacked her, all she could hope for was a weak opponent or to outsmart the enemy. She packed her belongings and snuffed out her fire. Tonight she would have to endure the night air. A fire was too much of a risk.

She laid down on a soft patch of grass, resting her head on her small bag. Clutching her katana close to her chest, she rubbed the light pink hilt lovingly. It was a present for her nineteenth birthday from Gaara. The war was at its peak, but he had still made time to give her a present. That was when he had shared his feelings with her and was overjoyed that she reciprocated them. It was one of her fondest memories. Light sleep soon overtook her.

* * *

It couldn't of been fifteen minutes later that her body was jolted awake. There was a dull ache behind her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. Sakura was instantly aware of two things. Somehow the extinguished fire a few feet from her was relit and burning brightly. But that was not the thing that worried her. Standing on the other side of that fire was a slightly dark figure. The build of the figure suggested it was a male. She scurried to her feet with haste. But when she faced him only a second later, he was gone. Her senses were on edge as she stood there, un-moving, her hand gripping the hilt of her katana firmly now. As she surveyed the area slowly, she saw no trace of him. Sakura couldn't even sense his chakra signature. It was like he had completely vanished. She grabbed her backpack and strapped it to her back once more. It was not safe here.

As the pinkette quickly snuffed the fire once more and headed in her desired direction, she stopped abruptly. The young girl felt the vibrations before she heard the sound of running feet. That had only meant one thing, there was more than one person, and they were headed right towards her.

"Shit." She whispered as her feet flung her in the opposite direction of her pursuers. They were gaining on her quickly. It didn't make sense. If that man had been watching her sleep, why didn't he just kill her? Why was she being chased if they had an opening. The only thought she could come up with was that he wasn't with the group currently after her. But then who was he? She had to disperse her thoughts. There was no way she would be able to outrun these people. They were just too close to her.

In that moment, the trees thinned dramatically and soon after, Sakura found herself in a large open meadow. The moon had been bright. She hadn't realized it in the dense part of the woods where her makeshift camp had been. At least now there would be more room for a fight or possible escape. The small woman had placed herself a good distance from the tree line, turning abruptly to face her attackers. The look she sent the now approaching men was nothing short of feral. She drew her weapon and readied for an attack. It had been a new strategy of hers to appear weaker than she actually was. Using her katana, a weapon she had only recently mastered, and saving the inhuman strength to catch her opponent off guard. It would leave her with an opening to kill or in best case scenario, open an escape route. But it was her who was thrown off track when a loud voice from the tree line halted the approaching ninjas movements.

"Wait! Stand ready." Her jade eyes widened slightly at the command as her insides churned. Something was oddly familiar about this mans voice. She looked past the four masked men only a few feet from her and to the figure that hid in the shadow of a tree. He was obviously their leader._ So he wants to play coy_. That wasn't exactly the kunoichi's style. She would coax him out. Sakura looked over his men thoroughly. She could tell that they were not very strong at all. Even their stance reeked of inability. A sigh escaped her pink lips as she effortlessly took out two of the ninja within a heartbeat. As she returned to her previous spot, the remaining two gasped as their comrades hit the ground, lifeless. One of the masked men recovered quickly.

"You bitch!" Letting his emotions get the best of him, he lunged forward and attacked the pinkette. His own sword went whizzing past her head as she dodged and counterattacked with her own strike. Her blade pierced though his lung instantly. The girl kneed him in the chest near his wound and he fell backward as she slid her katana from his choking body. Sakura took pity on him. It was apparent he could not breathe. Bringing her sword down on him once more, she ended his suffering. The last man tried to attack her from behind. It took her slightly off guard and caused her to sustain a shallow cut on her cheek before she quickly turned fully around and killed him as well. That was all too easy. These men only showed level of a genin.

The ex-hunter faced the last remaining man. The one who hid in the shadows. Her dark glare was now upon her face once more as she returned her katana to its scabbard. His light chuckle reached her ears.

"Boy, if looks could kill. That glare would do it."

"Show your face, you coward." She coaxed harshly.

"Such power behind that small voice of yours. What an admirable quality." He was toying with her now.

"Your comrades have fallen lamely and still you hide in the shadows. Don't you feel any need to avenge them?!" Laughter erupted from the faceless man.

"Comrades? No. I don't care about those men in the slightest. I should actually thank you for disposing of them for me. They were too weak. I work better alone anyway." She could tell his face held a wide grin. But boy was this man making her aggravated.

"Girl. I have a question for you. Where did your friend go? I cant even sense him at all anymore." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm traveling alone." He snorted.

"Don't give me that fake confused look. I sensed him with you right before we reached your camp." Of coarse she knew what he was talking about. It was the man she saw upon her awakening. But Sakura didn't know anything about the mystery shadow. It would be futile to tell this shadow otherwise.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about. Now stop stalling and come fight me, you gutless swine." Her rage was growing by the second. All she wanted to do was end this quickly. This man gave her a bad feeling.

"Be careful what you wish for, Sakura." Her eyes widened tremendously.

"H-how do you know my name?" This had threw her for a loop. What came next made her body tremble with shock. In the next instant, he was standing in front of her, his nose barley a quarters length away from her own. She Backed up on instinct as she examined his face. The long scar that ran from the bridge of his nose to his jaw was unmistakable. She knew this man very well. He had been haunting her dreams every time she slept.

The trembling her body was doing was now out of fear than shock. It was only when a sickening pain ran through her abdomen that she realized he had struck her upon his fast confrontation. Her hand clutched at her stomach, trying to heal the wound as her other pulled her katana from its holder. Sakura was surprised when none of her chakra pooled from her hand to her wound. Suddenly she was hit with a wave of unease as her strength depleted.

"Wh-what did you do to me?" She fell to her knees helplessly.

"Just a chakra depletion technique I bound with my sword. Isn't it fascinating? It's the same thing I used back then. If it makes you feel any better, you were my target. But that stupid sand welding jerk got in the way. He just had to be the hero."

"Kenji! You killed Gaara, you bastard!" She tried to rise to her feet but ended up falling back down on her hands and knees. She sat up to look at him.

"That Suna dick gave me this scar. And for what? To protect the likes of you? You're a sad sight right now, Sakura. Get up and fight me. That is what you wanted, right? Come avenge your lovers death!" She tried once more to stand, but was countered with his boot pressing against her shoulder, making her fall flat on her back.

"The Kazekage isn't the only one who fell victim to this technique. That annoying blond Hokage was also put down. I believe you knew him too. He lasted quite a while actually. Longer than your precious lover."

"N-naruto…" She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. This man ruined everything she held dear. And now he was going to take her life as well.

"Awe. Crying so easily. Here, let me rip your heart into pieces before I kill you. The Kazekage said something before I stole his last breath." His grin grew at the girls trembling form.

"S-stop." It was becoming increasingly hard for her to focus. She knew that her consciousness was slipping.

"He's spoke your name with such passion."

"Shut up!"

"And then he mumbled how sorry he was for not being able to protect you. Pathetic right?"

"I said shut up!"

"What's the matter? Can't handle it all of a sudden? Ah, well. It doesn't really matter. You're about to die anyway." He stood by her head, raising his sword inches from her face. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side facing away from him.

"Finally giving up, I see. Good." She heard fabric rustling lightly and guessed it was his arm raising to deal the finishing blow. Her eyes squinted tighter, waiting. But instead of her death, she heard metal clinking together. It wasn't until the girl heard another voice that she opened her eyes and looked skyward. There was another figure standing on the other side of her head. The place she had previously been facing. Her vision was too blurry to see what her savior looked like, so she tried to focus on his voice.

"This ends now." He held no emotion in his words, but even Sakura could tell that there was a fierceness hidden behind them.

"So you were lying. Is this that friend, Sakura?"

"She doesn't know of me. But that is none of your concern." He lashed out at Kenji, successfully wounding him. He cursed and backed away.

"Move out of my fucking way, you pest. This is between Sakura and I." The girl laying beneath them held her shaky breath. If only she had her chakra.

"It would be in your best interest to run far away. Before I kill you. My patience is wearing thin." He struck him again, cutting deeper. Kenji hissed in pain and backed up further.

"This isn't over. I know who you are! I'll be back for her." And as quickly as Kenji had come, he was gone. The figure bent over Sakura once he was satisfied that the enemy was completely gone.

"Are you alright?" His monotone voice held a slight hint of concern. He pulled her to her feet slowly.

"I…I'm fine." She pushed his hands away from her and stumbled back. She had no clue how dangerous this man was if he could land two blows on the deranged Kenji. She began to fall again and he wrapped his arm around her back to steady her. She took his offer this time.

"You're being too modest now. You've sustained a deep wound and have been depleted of almost all your chakra. And judging by the way your reacting to being in close proximity to someone like me, you cannot see very well." She smirked.

"Well, If you knew all that, why'd ya ask if I was okay in the first place?" Her speech was beginning to slur. He picked her up in the least painful way he could muster and began walking. She squinted her eyes at the man now holding her as if she was some damsel in distress.

"Who are you?" She touched his face lightly with her fingertips.

"An old friend." That was the last thing she heard as the creeping darkness overtook her, finally.

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**Dun Dunn Dunnnnnnnnnnnnn**

**So, comment who you think it is. ;) If you have read the crappy version of this, I bet you already know. But this is the remake of my old story. **


	2. Laughter, Just What The Doctor Ordered

**Clarification: Sakura was 16 when she became A hunter, 17 when the war started, and 19 when it had ended with the fall of the Kazekage. She is now 20, going on 21 soon and has been a missing Nin for well over a year. **

**And I am completely aware that Sasori is anything but a malicious, cold blooded killer. He is a protagonist. This is my Fanfic. CUTE SASORI OR GTFO! Haha, I am also well aware of how I seem to embarrass myself endlessly. Okay, on with the story. :3 **

**Warning: This chapter may or may not contain some fluffy goodness. ;3 You're welcome.**

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Boy has it been a while since the petite girl had slept in a bed. But Sakura could not say she was at all pleased when she finally stirred from her deep slumber. Her body was beyond sore and she could barley sit up. Scratch that, she couldn't even move her torso region. So sitting was not an option. Seeing kenji again had erupted some foul feelings from inside her. They were bubbling at her surface and no matter how hard she had tried to choke them down, the feelings remained. But the pinkette had a bigger problem at hand. Not only did Sakura not know where she was, the person who brought her here was just as much of a mystery. She wanted answers.

Repressing the pain and dark emotions, the girl was finally able to open her groggy eyes. White. Everything was so bright to her. She had then realized it was because of the open window to her imitate left. Judging by the suns position, it was somewhere near late afternoon. Sakura then opened up her other senses fully.

Smell. It was very familiar to her. Anesthetic. Was she in some sort of infirmary? Taste. Her mouth was beyond dry and held the familiar tang of blood. That wasn't very surprising considering her state. Sound. Light breathing that she was sure was not her own. Touch. She was well aware of the intervenes tube that was placed in her left arm. What puzzled her was the warmth that seemed to radiate off of her right hand. She turned her head to the right and slowly sat up, ignoring the bodily protests.

A hunched over figure was beside her bed. His hand grasped hers lightly and his head was facing downward. All she could see was his messy red locks, sprawled out around where he lay. _Gaara. _She quickly thought, but soon after shook her head vigorously. _Gaara is dead. My mind needs to focus on reality. _The pinkette carefully slid her hand from his own, causing the man to stir. She quickly took out the I.V. in her other arm and faced the now awakening man. His head lifted slowly and the sight of his now exposed face had almost caused the Konaha ninja to backtrack off her hospital bed. She let out a gasp as he gripped her shoulders, steadying her once more.

"What the hell is going on? Am I dead?" Sakura whispered. The red headed man in front of her grinned slightly.

"I'm afraid it is the other way around, Haruno. I am very much alive." Her eyes widened and without thinking her actions through, her hands found their way to his face. She caressed, tugged, and pinched at his warm flesh. He stood still, unsure of how to react.

"Sasori?" The girl needed further conformation that she was not steadily going insane. It brought her reeling back to reality as he shook his head, confirming his name to her. She quickly pulled her hands away from the amused puppeteer as if she had been burned.

"Oh, kami-sama. I cannot take any more surprises. If you're going to kill me, please do so quickly!" She all but rushed the words out of her mouth. His lips fell into a slight frown.

"Why would I kill you after going through the trouble of saving you and hauling you all the way to Amegakure to have your wounds mended?" The girls nose wrinkled in thought. She had supposed he was right. That was a lot of trouble, especially with her being wounded and unconscious.

"Well then. Am I…Am I with Akatsuki now?" He stayed silent for several moments, just staring. It slightly unnerved her. She looked over his appearance and compared it to what she had remembered from their fight. His hair was a bit more shaggy now, but it didn't look bad on him. He was a bit more full in his chest and upper arms, not nearly as lean as his puppet body had been. He was far taller as well. The slender curve of his face had also filled out, something that made him look less boyish and more manly. Sakura felt entranced with his eyes. They were the oddest shade of reddish-brown. Not that the girl with natural pink hair could talk about oddities. Her gaze found its way to his lips as he opened them to speak.

"Yes. You are. I must admit, you are a particularly hard person to find. We have been trying to do so for quite a while now." The girl was taken back for a moment.

"What does the Akatsuki want with me?" Sakura was slightly dumbfounded.

"Different objectives, I suppose. Something that just so happened to work in my favor." He smiled at her. She had never seen such a brightly displayed emotion on an S-class criminal. And it shocked her even more that this man was Sasori. He took in her shock and tried to level out the emotion displayed on his face. Scratching the back of his head, he turned his face to the side.

"Sorry. I know this must be a lot for you to process. And it doesn't help that my damn emotions are unstable." His face heated up as a blush swept over his cheeks. Sasori looked at his hand, flexing his fingers.

"I'm not used to this human thing." He faced her once more, growing more formal as he cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling? None of us in Akatsuki are well at healing. Especially not to your extent of expertise. But Uchiha did his best on your stomach wound, at least to dull the pain. And Kakuzu stitched you up nicely so it wouldn't reopen." It was Sakura's turn to blush lightly. She had no idea how to act around this new Sasori. The one showing so much concern for her well being.

"You've changed." His mouth hung slack lightly as he gaped at her words. Suddenly he closed it and his brow furrowed. He thought for a second, choosing his words carefully.

"You aren't the only one that the war has changed, Sakura." It was true that Akatsuki had started out as a threat. But once a common enemy had appeared, stronger than anyone could imagine, that threat was turned into an alliance. Sakura had heard about the treaty pertaining to Akatsuki and Konaha, but being in Suna for most of the war, she had only thought of it as a rumor to scare the enemy off. He watched as realization clicked over her features.

"Once the war was over and we again fled for refuge, Leader had heard that you were missing in action. He had ordered us to find you. He apparently has some business with you."

"Then how does me being here work in your favor? You said earlier that I-"

"Don't worry about it." He waved his hand around, suggesting it was of little importance.

"Right. Now I must report to leader that you have awakened. Please stay here, and remain in bed. You have only been unconscious for approximately eight hours and still need time to rest." She nodded. But just as he was about to leave, she called out to him.

"Sasori. Thank you for saving my life. Oh, and if you see any one who could possibly help me take these stitches out on your way to report in, could you send them my way. They are a bit uncomfortable and I should have enough chakra by now to heal this measly wound." He nodded at her in response, not saying anything further.

* * *

There was a light knock on the door shortly after Sasori's departure. The girl sat upright from her hunched over position and cautiously told the person at the door it was okay to enter. She was surprised when Itachi Uchiha had been the one to walk in. But she quickly regained composure. These people were not her enemy anymore. He was here to help her. Nodding in her direction he walked closer to the bed, not stopping until he was beside it.

It was then that Sakura noticed he was waiting for her to expose her stomach. Being very familiar in the medical field, her instincts took over. Laying herself down, she pulled her shirt up slightly. It wasn't until then that she realized the shirt on her was not her own. It was a slightly baggy black tee, obviously masculine. She blushed at the thought of someone unknown dressing her, but quickly pushed that thought away to watch Itachi work. He was surprisingly gentile. And the speed at which he worked was astonishing. It was only when he backed away some that she realized he was completely done.

Her hands found their way to her now open stomach wound. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes in concentration. Familiar chakra spewed from her hands and flowed into the wound at a steady rate. The deep gash began closing instantly and Itachi could hardly look away from the skilled medic at work. When she was finished and her eyes fluttered open, Sakura was slightly surprised that the Uchiha was still in the room. He looked at her, sensing her stare.

"The fact alone that you are able to generate enough chakra right now is marveling."

"Um, thank you. I think?" He nodded, as if it was an appropriate answer and ghosted out of the room as if nothing had happened. _Well that's an Uchiha for you. All men of many words. _She snorted at her own sarcasm.

Another figure had replaced the dark haired man the instant he had left. She looked over to see the grinning face of Deidara. He was carrying a heaping plate of food in his hands.

"Yo."

"Uh, Hi." The girl wondered how much weirder her day could get.

"You look thin. I stole some of Kisame's food for you." She couldn't help but laugh a little at his statement. Indeed she had grown quite thin since she had been on the run. He had brightened substantially when she laughed. These people were not like she pictured them to be. Did the war really change them to this magnitude? Or were they more like this than anyone originally thought? The blonde shoved the tray of food onto the girls lap.

"What I did for you was worse than murder, yeah. So you better appreciate it. No one takes Kisame's food. Unless they have a death wish." He winked at her.

"Which apparently you do, since you talk about it so openly in front of me." The sound that escaped the blonds mouth was not something Sakura thought a man his age could make. It was more along the lines of a thirteen year old girl watching a horror film. She then turned her attention to the blue man standing in the doorway.

"Deidara." He fumed.

"It was for a good cause, yeah. Look at her!" He had somehow weaseled his way behind Sakura, now cowering in the corner of the bed. Kisame was trying to maneuver around her to smack some sense into the blond, being very cautious as to not hit her instead. This was all very amusing to the pinkette. And she did little to stop the burst of laughter that escaped her. The other two stopped and stared at her for a minute, unmoving. She wiped at her eyes as traces of wetness began to pool there.

"You're all just a bunch of little kids, aren't you?" They both blinked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language.

"Eh, just keep the damn food." He backed up and smirked at her. She tried to sustain her giggles. But the girl had to admit, she no longer felt that dark bubbling emotion in her chest cavity. Maybe they had sensed her low spirit. Because this is just what she had needed.

* * *

**It was getting too depressing. I needed to add some humor in there. **

**So did you all guess correctly on who saved Sakura? :3 I hope you all enjoyed. **


	3. Bloodlines

**Finally! Chapter three. And if I must say, I legitimately have the BEST reviewers EVER. 3 Keep them coming. I love them all so much!**

**Back to the darkness!**

* * *

Three days. Three long and horrific days she was kept in this room. Sakura was beginning to think she was more of a prisoner than anything else. In those three days she had barley seen any sign of life. Someone had brought her three meals a day, and checked her progress. This person, ninety nine percent of the time, was Itachi. It was currently why he was standing before her, unwrapping the gauze around her stomach.

"I may not be as keen on my medical skills, but your progress is highly concerning." Itachi was quite talkative once he opened up some. It was not at all what she would of expected from an Uchiha. Putting her hand over the last patch of sensitive flesh on her stomach, she healed it quickly.

"You're right. I should of regained my chakra fully by now. Healing this wound should have been a walk in the park for me. It's unnerving that it took me this long to fully heal myself." The man sat in front of her in silence for a moment.

"And you said that an ordinary katana did this?"

"It looked ordinary. From what I saw of it. But kenji had said something along the lines of binding. Something he infused with his sword to make it deplete chakra. Isn't that what Kisame's sword does?"

"Not exactly. Kisame's sword absorbs his enemies chakra. But if what you are telling me is true, This man just depleted your chakra. He didn't gain anything from it?" The girl shook her head.

"I'm not sure. I did catch a glimpse of one of the symbols inscribe on the hilt of his katana though. Maybe it would help learn more about whats going on with my low chakra levels." He nodded and handed her a pice of paper and writing utensil. Sakura scribbled down the symbol and handed it back to Itachi. He stood, examining the paper in his hand.

"I will do some research." He was about to leave when her petite hand grasped his sleeve lightly. When the Uchiha looked back, he felt slightly uneasy with the saddened expression on her face.

"Do you know…why I haven't seen Sasori around lately?" Realization dawned on him.

"He is on a mission. Along with most of Akatsuki. He should be due back soon." At least that explained the lack of company recently. She let go of his sleeve hand nodded, a deep sight escaping her lips. Itachi glanced at her one last time before he retreated.

Sakura swung her legs back on her bed, hugging them to her chest tightly. She glanced out the open window just in time to see the pink hues of the sky fading slowly. Burrowing her face in her knees, she began to weep silently. Every morning she woke up feeling the same. Lonely and unhappy. The war had ended, but she was the same. Stuck in this life of loneliness and fear.

She wasn't supposed to grieve. That wasn't the ninja way. Death was so common amongst them. And it took losing Gaara and Naruto to truly understand that something was wrong with that logic. Sure her depression had slowed her down at times, almost causing her own death. But it was wrong just to keep the sadness locked away. It was even more dangerous than letting it all out. She hurt on the inside. And no one had the right to tell her she couldn't show it on the outside as well.

"The rebirth of the sun will bring happiness again." Those stupid words. The ones she muttered to herself every night. It was all he had left her with.

"What an odd statement." The words were barley audible, but Sakura heard them despite the contrary. Her head bolted upright instantly. The man in the doorway held up his hands at her alarm.

"I'm not here to harm you. I just wish to speak with you." She had never seen this Akatsuki member before, but something about him was familiar. A sudden sense of deja vous hit her. This was happening an awful lot lately. She suppressed the need to roll her eyes at her inner realization and focused on the man now approaching her bed.

"Are you in any type of pain?" She shook her head no slowly, his appearance lightly catching her attention. His brightly colored hair could rival Naruto's jumpsuit and the many piercings his face held actually worked well on him.

"Did any of my men harm you in any way? I am just trying to figure out why our gust is crying." She repeated her previous motion as his words sank in.

"You're the leader of Akatsuki, aren't you?"

"I am. Now, are you going to tell me why you are so upset?"

"Maybe. If you tell me why I am here." He let a sigh pass through his lips as he focused his gaze out of the window.

"Right down to business. I would expect nothing less. But I'm not so sure that you would believe me if I told you." His gaze flickered to her eyes again and she gave him a weary look.

"Humor me." He nodded firmly at her.

"If you insist. Sakura Haruno, I have reason to believe that you and I are of the same bloodline." Said girl choked out a sarcastic laugh and raised an eyebrow at the man in front of her. Her features hardened slightly when she saw the seriousness on his face.

"What, if I may ask, made you believe these assumptions? And by bloodline you mean what exactly?"

"By my own memory of coarse. Or are you telling me that there is more than one pink haired green eyed girl named Sakura in Konaha?" The man completely ignored her second question. Fortunately she hadn't caught on right away.

"What does Konaha have to do with anything? I've heard rumors that the leader of Akatsuki was from Ame. Are you not?"

"I am, but so are you." Sakura grabbed her head in frustration.

"I'm so confused. I am not from Amegakure."

"But you are. This village hasn't always been this peaceful. When I was young, when you were born here, it was a place of high crime. And soon after your birth, our parents had abandoned us here. I was only 10 at the time an knew nothing about taking care of an infant. So I had searched for a good home for you. That was hard in Ame, but soon I came across a young, well off looking couple. They were just travelers." He began to space out slightly but quickly regained himself when Sakura cleared her throat impatiently.

"I had walked up to them and had told them about what had happened. They looked weary at first but once I held you out to them, the lady took you instantly from me. She asked your name and once I had told them it was Sakura, I could tell they were not going to leave without you. They had probably wanted to know more, but I wasn't going to risk the chance of them changing their mind. So I had ran before the had gotten the chance." It was silent for a long time in the small room.

"Is this some sick joke? I'm supposed to believe you are my brother?" Her voice came out hoarse and shaky.

"I hadn't expected you to believe me. But if you are willing to, I can prove it. I will let you conduct DNA testing yourself." The girl thought it over before nodding meekly.

"Why now after all this time, have you chosen to tell me this?"

"We were supposed to be enemies. Not only that, but I hadn't known you were alive at all until you had defeated Sasori. I was hoping to find you during the war, but unfortunately you were not residing in Konaha. I had no other leads to where you might be."

"Suna. I was…in Suna." Her face fell slightly.

"Ah, sore subject is it?" She looked at him sharply.

"Yes. So let's not play family and push it." She bitterly spat.

"Understandable. I apologize. I'm not exactly proficient in family life."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. This is just a lot to take in."

"No need to be sorry. Your actions are justifiable." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but was debating on the issue. She stared at her bed sheets intensely. So when he finally began to talk again, it took her slightly by surprise.

"I know that what I have done is unforgivable. And I may not be the best man out there. But I am willing to do all I can to make this up to you. If you would let me." When she looked back up to say something, he was gone.

* * *

It was just after midnight when Sasori groggily made his way to the infirmary. He had it set in his mind on seeing Sakura the moment he had arrived from his mission. He couldn't seem to get her out of his mind lately. He didn't even care if she was asleep when he arrived or not.

Just in case, he lightly crept into the room, not wanting to disturb her slumber. Upon inspection, he could see that indeed she was sleeping. Her face was tilted to the side, even more beautiful in the moonlight. He shook his head. That train of thought would lead him to trouble.

Even as he snuffed his inappropriate thought, his hand reached out to caress the puffy irritated flesh under her eye. She had been crying. It made a slightly painful feeling arise in his chest. Mindlessly he stroked her face, unaware of the attention it brought to the pinkette. Her eyes fluttered open and he quickly withdrew his hand.

She sat up slowly, and before either of them knew what was happening, she had begun to sob uncontrollably and throw her arms around the redhead. He hadn't moved at first, but once she had slid her face into the crook of his neck and cried louder, his arms embraced her back and pulled her firmly against his chest. Yes. She was meant to be here. He could tell by the way she fit so perfectly against him. There was no denying his attraction for this woman any longer.

* * *

**It is 3am. I have to be up sooner than you all can imagine. But I stuck it out and finished this chapter for you. I am sorry if there is any errors. I will fix them at a later date. Right now, I need rest. I love you all. Goodnight. **


	4. Wait For Me

**Don't hate me for writing off a couple of the Akatsuki members…and I'm sorry if you don't ship/like PeinKonan. But you need to overcome that, because they are together in this fic. There not even the main pair so don't let it stop you from reading on. Another thing I cannot stress enough. This is a work of fan fiction. I am the story teller here. Things are going to be different. **

**So, I know it has been a while since my last update. I'm really sorry. But you can all thank **_**I love you Sasori-kun **_**for encouraging me to write this next chapter. So this chapter is dedicated to you!**

* * *

Being on a friendly basis with Akatsuki was easier than the girl could of imagined. Her fourth week with Akatsuki was quickly coming to an end, and within that time frame she had bonded in some small way with each of the remaining members. The only ones she had not met were Zetsu and Tobi. Apparently even an organization as strong as Akatsuki had losses during the war.

Konan was the easiest to connect with, apart from Sasori. This might have been because of the silent bond most kunoichi tend to share. After that she was surprised to find that she enjoyed the company of Itachi Uchiha. His intellectual conversations and deep intrigue of her medical capabilities were enough to consider him a pleasant companion. Deidara, Kisame, and Hidan could be a bit obnoxious at times, but they were always good for a laugh, or a sparring match when the pinkette seemed agitated.

At first Sakura was a little weary of Kakuzu, and he didn't seem too thrilled of her either. But after a long sparring match with the odd man, the medic became interested in his body. Not in a provocative sense, no. More along the lines of a medical perspective. It wasn't every day that she met someone with four extra hearts. And after annoying him for the better half of a week, he gave in. Letting her conduct some friendly medical research on him. To say the girl was giddy was an understatement. She would have to say it was the most fun she had had in quite some time. He was baffled and also slightly amused at her intrigue in something that would appall others. After all, just seeing his body usually struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. Here this girl was smiling from ear to ear, inspecting the different chakra patterns of his different hearts openly. And just like that she had nuzzled her way onto his ally list. Not that he would ever admit it out loud but he supposed he could overlook another mouth to feed, if it was hers.

Sakura seemed to shy away from the leader of Akatsuki. After thoroughly conducting several DNA experiments, she had come to the conclusion that he was indeed telling her the truth. It was all still hard to believe. Even more so than Sasori being alive. Which also struck a chord within her. It should definitely shock her more than it had. But for some reason she felt slightly more at peace with him being brought back to life.

It unnerved her how unafraid she had been of him. Thinking back to when she had first awaken here and how she reacted. The pinkette had grabbed and prodded at his face for crying out loud. Something she would not have done before…before the war. Had she really changed that considerably? To act so carelessly without thinking things through? She was always the intellectual one out of her comrades. The planner. The strategist. But now she would jump before thinking, if she thought at all. When Kenji had appeared, she had let her emotions run wild. They had taken over for her ability to strategize. It had almost caused her life to end. She wasn't mentally prepared anymore. These thoughts were dragging her down lately. Clenching her fist tightly at her side, Sakura heaved a deep sigh.

"Get a grip." As the whispered words passed through her lips, she could hear the surprisingly shaky tone of her voice. She was getting herself worked up over this. Which was also unlike her. Readjusting her focus to the paper she held in her other hand, her now unclenched fist rose to massage her temple.

"You don't look so good, yeah." Eyes widening a fraction at the new voice, she slightly jumped backward. Deidara threw his hands up in front of him innocently, face adorning a cheeky grin.

"Didn't mean to scare ya. I just need some medical assistance is all. If you're not too busy." Sakura set down the paper on the counter and ran her hand through her hair.

"What did you do now?" She addressed the blond with an annoyed but slightly amused tone.

"Sparring with Sasori, yeah. He got a nice shot in on my chest. Hurts like hell, but don't tell him that!" She motioned for him to take off his shirt and sit on the bed. He fallowed her instructions immediately. She looked at the long gash on his chest and groaned audibly.

"Honestly, how did you guys ever manage before I showed up?" He shrugged.

"Usually we just suffered through it until we ran across a medic. Or Kakuzu patched us up." Her face scrunched up.

"You have been in here at least three times this week with similar occurrences. Even though they are starting to progress in danger. I'm starting to think you are taking advantage of my free hospitality. Either that or you like my hands on your body." She smirked at him teasingly and he gasped, turning his head to the side to hide the slightly pink shade that crept onto his face.

"Idiot. I just like to fight." She pinched his cheek roughly before starting to heal his wound.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say Deidara." Somewhere during her healing of his chest, Sasori had entered the large room, leaning patiently against the counter behind the duo. A pang of jealousy shot through the mans chest. It often happed when Sakura healed the other members of Akatsuki. Mostly Deidara, knowing of the slight crush he held for the pink haired medic.

"It wouldn't hurt for you two to go a little easier on each other. One of you are bound to give me a heart attack. It's bad enough that Kisame came in here a few days ago all torn to hell because he thought it would be a good idea to spar with Kakuzu and Hidan at the same time." There was that jealous feeling again. He didn't like when she talked about them either, he had found. Deidara leapt off the table, grabbing his shirt from beside him. The act caused the red head to snap from his inner turmoil.

"Ya hear that Sasori. Take it easy on me next time!" The girl slapped the back of Deidara's head.

"Don't act innocent. I know you love to antagonize. You probably deserved it." A smug smile found its way onto Sasori's lips. Her violent acts towards the other members, however, cheered him up considerably. It was something he could hold above their heads secretly. She had never acted out like that towards him. Even if he had deserved a few of her infamous smacks. The blond growled and left the room.

"So?" He faced her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you in the infirmary? Are you injured as well or were you just worried about your teammate?" He couldn't exactly tell her that he was there to keep a jealous eye on Deidara. The thought of announcing that made him flush slightly. Fortunately, she didn't catch it.

"I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to get something to eat. You look kind of pale." It wasn't a complete lie. At further observation, she did look slightly colorless. He walked closer to her and examined her face. There were also dark bags under her eyes.

"Are you not sleeping well?" She looked away from him and cleared her throat.

"I'm fine."

"That isn't what I asked." Sakura bit her lip. It was hard to keep things from him. Not when this man had seen her break down on more than one occasion since her being here. He had never pressed further on why she was crying. He had just lent his shoulder to her, and a warm embracing hug. It was one of the reasons why she had grown so attached to him within the nearing month that she had been here. Hearing him sigh, she downcast her eyes further. It was only when his warm palm pressed against her cheek and lifted her face that she looked back at him.

"I'm just worried is all." She wanted to laugh at his words but held her tongue. Here stood the man that she had killed once. An S-class criminal who was deemed cold and full of murderous intent by millions, saying he was worried for her well being. As his thumb swept gently across her cheek, she had abandoned her sour thoughts. Her heart pace quickened considerably. How could he do that to her so easily? Make her turn into a blubbering mess of emotion with the lightest touch. She hadn't felt this way since…_Gaara_.

Her hand reached his own and gently pulled it away from her face. She quietly sidestepped him and returned to the paper she had set on the counter. The wetness stinging at her eyes was becoming more of a threat. Sasori peered down at his now vacant palm. It had grown quite cold with the absence of her skin.

"I guess…I've been a little sleep deprived lately. I apologize for making you worry. Tonight I'll make sure I head into bed early." Her voice cracked slightly and she held her breath, hoping that he didn't catch it. Wishful thinking. On impulse his arms snaked around her chest from behind. Pressing her back to his chest, he hugged her firmly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." She shook her head feverishly, gripping his arms shakily.

"You didn't make me cry…I was just…remembering something." _More like someone_. She bitterly thought. He hugged her tighter and whispered just above her ear.

"I know I have never dug into your past. But I care about you and it pains me to know that it torments you so much. And I want you to be able to talk to me about it. So it doesn't have to be just your burden anymore."

"Sasori…" She was at a loss for words. He had made it blatantly obvious very quickly that he had feelings for her. She didn't understand why, and even more so, didn't even think he knew how up front he was being about them. But Sakura didn't know what to do. She did have feelings for him as well. But she didn't want to forget Gaara. She was scared. But maybe. Maybe if she told someone what was going through her mind it would help resolve her problem. But that someone couldn't be Sasori. Not yet. She needed to gain an outside perspective first. The girl turned in Sasori's arms to face him, cupping his cheeks lightly before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly back.

"I want to tell you. But I can't right now, okay? I just need to figure some things out first." Sasori stroked her hair soothingly. After the words he had spoken, he was sure that Sakura now knew of his feelings towards her. He was just glad that she didn't reject him outright. Understanding what she meant by her words, he nodded his head into her shoulder.

"I'll wait for you forever if I have to."

* * *

**Oh the feels! D': Haha. I gave myself feels writing that last bit. A little angst in there. I apologize. And on the note of apologizing. I'm also sorry it is shorter than my other chapters. **

**I kind of like the inexperience of Sasori's emotions. And I feel like that would cause him to express more than he bargained to show. Hence the reason why he thinks Sakura just found out that he had such deep feeling for her, when in all actuality, she has know probably since the beginning. **


End file.
